HRCR MIDLANDS NEWSLETTER : OCTOBER 2017

FORTHCOMING HRCR MIDLANDS EVENTS

Ex Roger Clark / Jim Porter Twin Cam was on hand for passenger rides at the 2017 Wales Rally GR Media Day at Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire.

October 1 TONY MATTHEWS CLASSIC TOUR Though not organised by HRCR Midlands, several Members are involved with the organisation of this popular tour which will take in parts of Staffordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. The £45 entry provides the crew of two a breakfast bap and a drink at the Start, roadbook, tour plate and parking at Cosford. Depending on when this Newsletter is distributed, very late entries might be accepted, forms being available by emailing [email protected] and putting ‘2017 TOUR’ in the subject box. Where and Time : The start is at Weston Park TF11 8LE where there will be a two mile run through the Capability Brown designed parkland, possibly using some of the same roads as the Club’s AGBO Rallies. The Halfway Halt will be at the Bodenham Arboretum near Kidderminster DY11 5TB whilst the finish is near the Cold War Hangar at RAF Cosford Air Museum TF11 8UP.

October 27 DAYINSURE WALES RALLY GREAT BRITAIN : CHESTER This year, MkII Escorts and the like should be returning to WRGB, being eligible for the National Rally and much in keeping with the ‘Rally of Legends’ strapline being used for publicising the whole event. On Day One of WRGB, Chester city centre will be a time control for the International rally and also the Ceremonial Start for the National rally. The National cars will arrive from 5pm for their first appearance of the weekend in Chester Eastgate. Then, from 7pm and after a long drive back from Hafren, the WRC cars will arrive and the In Control. They then have 20 minutes to travel to the Out Control and between the two there is a large area for crews to stop, get out of their cars, and to sign autographs. As for last year, spectating will be amongst the historic, double-deck Rows in the city centre, offering great opportunities to see the crews, cars and other visiting stars at close quarters. It is also possible to assist Matlock Motor Club in providing the 30 marshals needed. However, please be aware that it is now necessary to be an MSA Accredited Marshal. It is planned to have

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final

two waves of marsha’’s signing-on, one at about noon and the second wave at 3pm. All marshals will need to be in place on stage about 3.30pm. If you are not already MSA accredited, you may become so by successfully completing simple, online, multiple choice ‘examination’ questions on the MSA website, something that takes just over 30 minutes to do. Matlock MC is hoping to arrange a special training session for the marshalling group shortly, subject to numbers and availabilities. Those interested should let David Yorke (07767 412919 or [email protected]) or Frances Banning of Matlock MC (07973 689971 or [email protected]) know as soon as possible. Other useful links - https://www.msauk.org/MSAlaunches-online-marshals-trainingand-accreditation https://members.msauk.org/imissite/login/default.asp http://www.rallystageteam.co.uk/

October 28 PRACTICE DAY : CURBOROUGH SPRINT COURSE Carlton and District Motor Club will be holding another of its practice days. However, such is the popularity of the sprint course that the date clashes with that of Wales Rally GB. Once again, there will be a full day’s motor sport with the route likely to be changed a couple of times. The on-site catering has also been booked. Whilst the entry fee has been stable for a number of years, it has had to be increased to £38 per car will be £38 yet is still very good value compared to other track days. There will be maximum entry of 35 cars (road cars only: no single seaters), selected on a first come, first served basis. Where and Time : Curborough Sprint Course, Netherstowe Lane, Lichfield WS13 8EJ. Further information is available from Vince Orme of Carlton and District Motor Club via 07799 802107 (text first & Vince will get back to you) or email him via [email protected]

Nov 4/5 DANSPORT RALLY This is the year’s second HRCR Premier Series event within the HRCR Midlands Region so it particularly merits Member support. Both the Start and Finish will be at the Bakewell Showground and the route uses Map 110 this time as well as the tried and tested 119. Matlock Motor Club’s Chairman and Chief Marshal, Charlie Wheeldon, is currently looking / touting for marshals. As before, the event starts and finishes at Bakewell. Various freebies will be available for all marshals at the Start and a free breakfast for all those who have marshalled in the second half. Charlie can be contacted via 07973 567239 and [email protected]

Nov 10 RALLY OF THE TESTS Please see the separate item elsewhere in this issue.

Nov 10-12 POSSIBLE VISIT TO NEC CLASSIC CAR SHOW Depending on Member interest, it may be possible for them to meet up during the day at this major classic car show that was once graced with HRCR’s presence until the annual Open Day at Gaydon became the club’s major focus for publicity. Those who might be interested in so doing should contact David Yorke know via 07767 412919 or [email protected] to establish who might be going when and try and arrange possible hook-ups.

December CHRISTMAS MEAL AND QUIZ Whilst the exact date and location have yet to be determined, it has been decided to hold another Christmas event where individuals or teams can enter a computer-based quiz in their own time. Please read future Midlands Newsletters for further information.

Jan / Feb SPEAKER Following the successful evening with Le Mans winner Guy Smith earlier this year, it is intended to hold another similar event with someone with equivalent stature within motoring and motorsport. Clearly much depends on people’s availabilities but the ‘closed season’ in this part of the year has proved fruitful in the past. Whilst some suggestions and contact details have already been given, others would be welcome. So please let Peter Haynes or David Yorke know as soon as possible.

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final

‘LOCAL’ AND OTHER EVENTS OF POSSIBLE INTEREST As ever, please confirm details with the relevant event organisers

Key to HRCR Events 1 HRCR Scenic Tour Series 2 HRCR Hagerty Insurance Clubmans Road Rally Championship 3 HRCR Augment Automotive Speed Series Hill Climb + Sprint Championship 4 HRCR Old Stager Asphalt Historic Rally Championship 5 HRCR Stage Masters Historic Stage Rally Challenge 6 HRCR Premier Rally Championship (road rallies) HRCR Date Event Contact 2 30 Sept - 1 Devon Classic Rally : maps 191,192 + 202 [email protected] October HRCR Clubmans Road Rally Championship R’nd 12 6 Devon Classic Rally South Hams MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Classic / Historic / Vintage 6 Autumn Rally : West Wales Carmarthen MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigational 1 1 October Tour of Kent www.blackpalfrey.co.uk HRCR Scenic Tour Series Tony Matthews Scenic Tour : Weston Park to Owen Motor Club Cosford [email protected] 2 7 October The Devils Own Rally : South Lakes : maps 96 / 97 www.devilsownrally.co.uk HRCR Clubmans Road Rally Championship 6 7-8 October 1000 Lanes Rally : Head of the Valley AC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigation 1 8 October Ludlow + Marches Classic Tour : Shropshire, www.ludlowcastlemotoclub.com Herefordshire + Powys HRCR Scenic Tour Series 6 14-15 Oct Rali Mynydd Du : (NB Novice event TBC) Amman + District MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigation 4 22 October Cheviot Stages Rally : Northumberland www.cheviotstages.org.uk HRCR Old Stager Asphalt Rally Champ Round 7

26 – 29 Oct Dayinsure Wales Rally GB FIA World Rally Championship 1 4 November Autumn Leaves Scenic Tour : Forest of Dean + www.scenictours.co Herefordshire HRCR Scenic Tour Series Neil Howard Stages : Oulton Park Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship 10-12 Nov NEC Classic Car Show : NEC Birmingham 10-13 Nov R.A.C Rally 5 11 November Wyedean Rally : Forest of Dean www.wyedeanrally.com HRCR Stage Masters Histroic Stage Rally Challenge Round 8 + MSA Welsh Rally Championship 6 11-12 Nov Barbara Carter Memorial Rally : Devon Exmouth MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigational 6 18-19 Nov Guy Fawkes Rally (to be confirmed) South Hams MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigational 6 Peak Revs Rally : Shropshire (to be confirmed) Ludlow Castle MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigational

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final

HRCR Date Event Contact 19 November Cadwell Stages Rally : Lincolnshire ANWCC Stage Rally + Junior 100 Rally Champ’s 4 25 November Hall Trophy Rally : Blyton Park Reserve event TBC www.clitheroedmc.co.uk HRCR Old Stager Asphalt Rally Championship Grizedale Stages : Lake District ANCC Forest Challenge + WMMC Heart of England Hall Trophy Rally : EMAMC + ANWCC Stage Rally Champ’s + ANCC Multi-Use Challenge 6 25-26 Nov Ed Instone Memorial Rally : Isle of Man Druidale MC HRCR Premier Rally Champ : Road + navigational 5 2-3 Dec Killarney Stages : Southern Ireland www.killarenyanddistrictmotorclub. HRCR Stage Masters Historic Stage Rally Challenge ie Round 9

RAC RALLY OF THE TESTS For those interested in being involved with this event, there are some opportunities to do so as follows. Alternatively, come and see how John Ball, Andrew Duerden and the ‘Flying Sofa’ Citroen DS21 fare. Thursday 9 November : Prologue : Chester to Chester The first leg of the event is designed to give crews a taste of the upcoming three days. Set in the Welsh / English border areas, this year's extended Prologue will see a couple of hours of competition in the dark comprising a brace of Regularities and Tests. HRCR North West has been asked to run some tests on the 5:30pm (tbc) night Prologue at Demon Tweeks, Wrexham. Friday 10 November : Day 1 : Chester to Darlington Leaving Carden Park behind, the action starts quickly with a series of tests across Cheshire before crews take to the Derbyshire Dales for some more challenging drives. The rest of the day sees the route wend its way up the Pennines via further regularities and special tests plus a short evening Time Control Section to Redworth Hall near Darlington. HRCR NW has also been requested to run more tests first thing (probably 7:30am) in the morning at Bolesworth where some 20 marshals will be needed. Following the successful joint working at JCB Rocester for tests on the same event last year, some HRCR Midlands Members are already committed to joining Matlock Motor Club at Haddon Hall near Bakewell to marshal the Lunch Halt. They had hoped to have been marshalling on a special test in the same vicinity but the intended special test has now been deemed unsuitable by Clerk of Course Guy Woodcock. Those interested in helping HRCRNW should contact Mike Harrison [email protected] and Duncan Wild [email protected] whilst those wishing to assist at Haddon hall should contact David Yorke via 07767 412919 or [email protected] . Saturday 11 November : Day 2 : Darlington to Darlington Two nights in the same hotel is popular with crews plus allows us to explore some new territory in northern Cumbria and the Pennines. Heading west from Redworth, a series of early tests will set the scene before taking to the hills. As the day unfolds, the pressure will be increased and the challenges stepped up, culminating in a tough evening Time Control Section at a popular ROTT venue. Sunday 12 November : Day 3 : Darlington to Harrogate The final day comprises a short run to Harrogate via the Vale of York and the surrounding hills. However, there will still be plenty of competition on offer with a few interesting regularities and some special Tests planned to make sure that the final results go down to the wire and the Finish. Further details See http://heroevents.eu/event-type/rac-rally-of-the-tests

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final

REPORTS Reports and articles with historic interest are very much welcomed. The views expressed are not necessarily those of either the Region’s Management Team or the HRCR Committee. All rights are reserved by the respective contributors and their particular permission is required for reproduction of any material in this Newsletter. THE KOP HILL CLIMB : PRINCES RISBOROUGH : 16 + 17 SEPTEMEBER 2017

A Cooper waits at the Start whilst a Mustang smokes away up the hill. For the last three years, the HRCR has offered a programme of events that forms its Speed Series Hill Climb and Sprint Championship so, following last month’s item on the revival of the Cotton races at Oakamoor in Staffordshire, no apology is given for a second item on another hill climb revival on closed public roads, it being perhaps the template adopted for the Staffordshire event. The Kop Hill Climb takes place on a public road in the Chilterns close to Princes Risborough, rising 304 feet over a length of 3,848 feet with gradients of up to 1 in 4. It was first established in 1910 and later became a major event in motor sports calendars. In the beginning, the course was just a dirt track with a surface that was loose, stony, hard and bumpy, besides incorporating a rut at the top that could tear off motorcycle tyres as well as a hump that launched many drivers and riders into the air. Several famous drivers and riders took part, including Malcolm Campbell (Talbot 12 hp "Blue Bird"), Raymond Mays (Bugatti), Henry Segrave (Sunbeam 2-litre Grand Prix), Archibald Frazer-Nash (Kim II,) JG Parry- Thomas and Capt.J E P Howey ( both in Leylands). The fastest time recorded for a car was in 1922 when Count Zborowski and his Ballot GP achieved 26.8 seconds, whereas the motorcycle record was set in 1925 when Freddie Dixon posted a time of 22.8 seconds with a 736 cc Douglas at an average of 81 mph (130 km/h).

Unfortunately, a minor accident involving a spectator led to the last competitive event being held on 28 March 1925, after which the RAC banned all motorsport on public roads, making the Kop Hill Climb the last of its kind to be run on a UK public highway. In 1999, the hill climb was revived as a non-competitive, charity event organised by the local Town Council and the Bean Car Club as part of the Risborough Festival. Since then, it has become an annual event run by Kop Hill Climb Ltd, a not-for-profit company manned by unpaid volunteers on behalf on the Buckinghamshire Community Foundation to raise money for local charities.

Today’s hill has a smooth tarmac surface with gentle bends, starting with a gradual slope and rising to a 1 in 6 gradient at the halfway point, then easing off before getting even steeper at 1 in 4 for a short section just before the summit, providing a challenge for older machinery just to make it to the top. The venue’s arguably unique combination of beautiful location, historical significance and family-fun /garden party atmosphere has made it something of a major fixture within the historic motor sport calendar, attracting many thousands of visitor and raising very significant sums for charity each year. This year there was an opportunity to stay locally with friends and find out what the event is all about. Now having a pedigree, the organisation was both efficient and effective and several hundred cars of all types and ages were on display, modern exotica coming largely from local dealers.

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final

Paddy Hopkirk chatting next to a BMW 2002 Turbo on Graham Robson, Simon Taylor and Stovebolt Special the Sytner BMW stand at the Start line

Whilst rallying appeared not to be particularly well represented, HRCR President Paddy Hopkirk was there whilst former Triumph team chief and prolific author Graham Robson was one of the start line commentators. Three Works Triumph models were present along with what looked to be a Colin McRae / Nicky Grist Rally Portugal Impreza. Besides, some of the vintage and post vintage thoroughbred cars present were representative of the trialling and rallying of yesteryear.

Ed China of ‘Wheeler Dealer’ TV fame brought his Two of the three ex-Works Triumph rally cars in the very 87mph, road-legal sofa. Wheel steering was via a pizza, large Paddock. possibly a ‘deep-dish’ type David Yorke

‘CATCH UP’ ROSS TRADERS HISTORIC RALLY : 22 JULY 2017 Clive and Angie Martin entered this HRCR Clubmans Road Rally Championship round, for which scrutineering was at Much Marcle and started at the Cattle Market at Ross on Wye where there was the first of the tests was also held, the winners being John Abel and Cath Woodman in and Escort RS2000. The 145 mile route then headed west, roughly following the River Wye and skirted the south of Hereford using maps 149, 161 and 162. All the regularities were self-start, the first comprising a herringbone with six speed changes, of which the lowest was 12mph on a white (won by Simon Mellings / Ryan Pickering in a Toyota MR20, followed by the first visit to Whitfield House for a test. Regularity B was spot heights and directions. With a total of 7 regularities and 9 tests (most at Whitfield House) the event has a good balance of regularities and tests. Having been seeded #41, the Martin pair improved on that to finish 27th overall and First in Class. John Abel and Cath Woodman were 3rd on the regularities and equal 2nd on the Tests with Matt Warren and Andy Pullan, the latter paid being the overall winners.

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final

ST WILFRIDS CLASSIC RALLY : 6 AUGUST 2017 The Martins were out again on another round of the HRCR Clubmans Road Rally Championship, this time in North Yorkshire. From the start in Ripon’s Town Square, it was but a short trip up the road to four tests in Potgate Quarry which soon took the shine off the cars as they splashed through huge puddles and avoided the piles of aggregates. One of the front runners got stuck and delayed the pair by up to half an hour. As if that was not enough, they had a ‘wrong test’ here as the pile they should have gone around had been removed! Three more tests followed nearby at Ellington Banks before five regularities, fuel and coffee being after the second at Pateley Bridge. Just one and part of another regularity were preplotted; another was given an hour before the start whilst the rest were plot and bash. After lunch at Carlton Husthwaite village hall, there was one test at Church Farm which had a reverse between buildings before a slalom around them before an ascent of a bank to take a rough track out to the road. Two more regularities followed, one through a ford which followed the road for some distance and helped to clean the farmyard muck off the cars. It was then back to more (some different) tests at Ellington Banks and then Potgate Quarry, before a roast dinner over the road and learning the results. Having the ‘wrong’ test and missing two controls, the crew finished 34th overall (one position down on seeding) and 5th in class. Of the Matlock crews Dave Leadbetter/Cath Woodman called it a day after getting beached early on in the quarry, Paul Davis and I came 20th and Brad Pierce/Steve Harris 23rd.

WELLAND VALLEY WANDER : 12 AUGUST 2017 ‘And now for something completely different……’ Clive and Angie Martin continued their busy motor sport involvement this summer by running as course opener for the Welland Valley Wander, something that they had never done before. This time, Angie drove whilst Clive was on the maps. The start was at Quorn Railway Station where breakfast baps and coffee had been laid on before they left about 9am to drive the route in the excellent road book, of which the first 20 pages had been issued a day or so before to enable prior reading of the history of the villages en route. The route first headed west through oaks in Charnwood before heading east to the coffee stop at Ashby Folville, famous for its classic car gatherings. Lunch could be taken at either Launde Abbey or Uppingham public school (most apparently opting for the former), after which the route meandered through Rutland and some very pretty villages through the ford at Geddington to exit by Eleanors Cross. The final stop was by the river in Stamford where tea and cakes had been laid on.

SNIPPETS

BENTLEY FINALLY WIN THE BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIP Rick Parfitt Jnr, Seb Morris and Team Parker Racing Bentley finally won the championship for Bentley at the last round held at Donington Park. No doubt HRCR Midlands’ January 2017 guest speaker Guy Smith and M-Sport Team Bentley are pleased that another series win van be added to the Bentley record books.

11th ‘NOVEMBER’ SUN RUN : 24 TO 27 NOVEMBER 2017 This year’s route is reportedly Bar sur Aube - Hauconcourt – Metz – Gleiszellen – Maginot Ligne – Riquewhir – Colmar. Several HRCR Midlands members are entering this event so hopefully a report will be forthcoming from one of them in due course. Further details may be found at www.vintagesunrun.org

LOMBARD RALLY BATH : 19 TO 21 OCTOBER 2018 Nostalgia time again and something to look forward to next year is a celebration of Bath’s involvement with the RAC Rally, organized by Peter Scott. There will be a ‘major social event‘ on the Friday and a 140 mile ‘non-competitive’(!) scenic tour on the Saturday echoing the Monday leg of the 1976 rally and taking in Porlock, Wiscombe Park and Cricket St Thomas.

NOVEMBER’S NEWSLETTER All contributions for next month’s newsletter are welcomed, for which copy should be no later than Friday 27 October 2017 to [email protected]

171000 HRCR Midlands Newsletter final